First Co.® HVAC age

How to determine the date of production/manufacture or age of First Co.® brand HVAC Systems.

The industry average service design life for most forced air furnaces is 15-20 years, and the industry average service design life for most air conditioning condensing units is 10-15 years. The average service design life of boilers can vary from as little as 10 years to as many as 50 years depending on the type and quality of materials used in their manufacture. Routine upkeep/maintenance, regional weather/climate, and location/placement of the mechanical systems will all play critical roles in the longevity of these systems.

Parent Company: First Co.

Subsidiaries or other related brands: AquaTherm | First-Pak product line | ECO Series product line

The date of production/manufacture or age of First Co. brand HVAC equipment can be determined from the serial number located on the rating data plate.

Note: The serial number may be broken up into 2 separate lines on the data plate with the first 3 characters positioned above the remaining production code numbers directly below. See style 2 example data plate.

Example serial number styles/formats found:

Style 1: S05A881350
Style 2: F05 FC032358 927092

Legend: Year is RED; Month is GREEN; Week is BLUE

Style 1: S05A881350

Year of manufacture can be determined by using the 1^st position of the serial number (letter) - See Chart

Month of manufacture can be determined by using the 2^nd & 3^rd positions of the serial number

The letters I, O, & Q are not used.

The cycle repeats with letter A representing 1994 and 2017, B= 1995 & 2018, C= 1996 & 2019, D= 1997 & 2020, E= 1998 & 2021, F= 1999 & 2022, G= 2000 & 2023, etc.

Style 2: F05 FC032358 927092

Year of manufacture can be determined by using the 1^st position of the serial number (letter) - See Chart

Month of manufacture can be determined by using the 2^nd & 3^rd positions of the serial number

The letters I, O, & Q are not used.

The cycle repeats with letter A representing 1994 and 2017, B= 1995 & 2018, C= 1996 & 2019, D= 1997 & 2020, E= 1998 & 2021, F= 1999 & 2022, G= 2000 & 2023, etc.

First Co.® History¹

Founded in 1966, First Co. has built and delivered over 5.5 million units to the multi-family HVAC industry, and is a leader in this industry.

First Co. is known for their water-source heat pump lines, but also manufactures commercial chilled water systems, as well as multi-family HVAC systems including air handlers, single packaged vertical units, thru-wall split units, and ceiling fan coils. First Co. systems are commonly encountered in multi-family apartment buildings, condominiums, and high-rises.

¹Information gathered from various industry sources.

Every effort is undertaken to offer you correct and concise information to assist you in determining the age or manufacture date of HVAC/R equipment. Users relying on this information do so at their own risk.

Page last updated: 11/29/2023

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